Spaghetti Westerns : THE FRESH,THE DRY AND THE WRINKLED

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Bucatini

Capellini d’Angelo

Cannelloni

Cappelletti

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Fettuccine

Fusilli

Lasagna

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Ziti

Things are stirring in the pasta world, and we’re not talking about the sauce.

The new tune today is not so much whether black pasta complements green pesto, or if urchin is really an OK stuffing for capelletti.

It’s not the pronunciation of the tongue twisters, tagliarini, agnolotti or ruote with proper diphthong reflex. We’ve got it now, I think.

What intrigues pasta diners today is the debate. It’s about dry vs. fresh--fresh vs. dry. And why?

It’s the sort of debate Italians have pondered il convivio- fashion--at the table--with a few laughs, song, jeers, tears, or perhaps rage, resulting in a duel or two, triggered no doubt on a Sunday afternoon when Mamma would emerge from her kitchen, hands and hair encrusted with flour paste, carrying a huge bowl of fresh pasta.

We asked a few Italian pasta experts their opinions, which were delivered, usually without much prodding, in a barrage of words and strong emotion.

It all started after hearing from architect Alberto Lensi, who also is co-owner of Pasteria, a small pasta restaurant on Melrose Avenue, that only dry pasta is worth its price.

“And what’s wrong with fresh pasta?” we asked.

“What can you say about glue? Flour and water you use when you were a kid to paste paper, not to put in your stomach,” said Lensi.

And he wasn’t the only one.

“Dry pasta is a work of art,” rhapsodized Carlo Kovarich of Carlo Kovarich Brokerage Co., a longtime importer of Italian food products.

“Yes, you can cook fresh pasta in two minutes, but I think dry pasta made by a good pasta factory is better. Why? Because dry pasta is a miracle of the Industrial Revolution. You’ve got industrial engineers studying the product and improving it to a degree where it’s turned out with ultimate texture, color and taste,” he said. “When pasta is extruded at very high atmospheric pressures, it is actually precooked so that the grain becomes a beautiful color of gold when intensified by cooking.”

“You can tell from the price which is the better choice,” Lensi added. “Fresh pasta costs 5 cents a serving while a good-quality dry pasta, like De Cecco or Spigadoro, is 25 cents. Besides, you get more healthy fiber from semolina used to make dry pasta,” he said.

Then there was Piero Selvaggio of Valentino and Primi restaurants with his preference for dry pasta, even though Primi is well known for its fresh pasta dishes. “You know how we Italians love fantasy, and dry pasta is a perfect example with its exciting shapes of half moons, half arms and legs, mini ears, shell, butterflies and bows,” said Selvaggio. (Actually there are over 600 varieties of shapes and sizes of dry pasta, according to a National Pasta Assn. report.)

The fresh pasta enthusiasts didn’t have trouble expressing themselves, either.

“Dry pasta?” asked executive chef Vito Gnazzo of Rex Il Ristorante, screwing up his Roman nose with a look of disdain. “Maybe it could be good, too, but it is something you don’t make yourself. Fresh pasta gives you freedom to control its flavor, texture and nutrition. I like to have control over a product.”

Emilio Baglione, of Emilio’s in Los Angeles, has typically romantic notions about fresh pasta. “Fresh pasta is intimate, romantic, made by hand, usually by your mother,” he said. His recipe for Pasta alla Chiattara, a specialty of his native Abruzzi, was made by hand on guitar strings before the advent of machines. The fresh pasta is served at his restaurant today.

Stefan Orsini, who operates Osteria Romana Orsini, a typically Roman restaurant in West Los Angeles, serves only fresh pasta (with the exception of traditionally dry pastas, such as penne, linguine and spaghetti). He considers fresh pasta more nutritious. “Its freshness makes the difference. It has no preservatives, is nutritious with eggs, and it smells and looks alive,” he said. One of the dishes on his menu is one that his mother created and his wife prepares at the restaurant. The recipe, named after his wife, Nuccia, is given here as Orsini’s Zitoni Sora Nuccia. It contains smoked mozzarella, tomatoes and olives and is made with fresh zitoni (small tubes), a pasta especially popular in Rome.

Most of those asked, however, conceded that the fresh and dried macaroni products were different, producing unique results in a cooked dish.

Antonio Tomassi, the former executive chef of Chianti Cucina who has opened his own restaurant, Locanda Veneta, in Los Angeles, was a voice of reason. He explained the differences: “There is a huge difference in texture and taste between the two. Dry pasta is made with semolina and therefore is much harder than the softer and more nutritious fresh pasta made with eggs. Soft, fresh pasta tends to absorb the sauce like a sponge, causing both the pasta and the sauce to incorporate as a single entity. Dry pastas tend to separate flavor and texture.”

He also pointed out that shelf life of fresh unpasteurized pasta is only three days--after that, chances of toxicity due to mold development are great. Dry pasta, on the other hand is a convenience. It doesn’t spoil and requires no special storage considerations.

Luciano Morro, an officer at the Italian Trade Commission in Los Angeles, enjoys both fresh and dry pasta, but explained that fresh pasta has at least one important added advantage: “It cooks quickly--1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Within five minutes you are sitting at a table and eating,” he said.

Longer Cooking Times

Dry pasta takes 8 to 15 minutes, depending on the cut.

Sidney Silvi, who with her husband operates Al Dente, a pasta deli in Los Alamitos where 100 pounds of fresh pasta is turned out daily, confesses that dry pasta is definitely a convenience and making fresh pasta does take time. However, most cooks today tend to purchase rather than prepare fresh pasta, which is widely available in deli cases in most supermarkets. The precaution, however, is to be sure that the product is consumed as soon after purchase as possible, preferably within three days unless otherwise specified on the package. “We try to impress on our customers to buy the pasta the day they plan to use it.” she said.

Celestino Drago, of Celestino Ristorante, added yet another important point about fresh vs dry pasta. “Dry pasta is good if you like pasta al dente in texture (pasta that is firm to the bite), especially when it is almost raw in the center. But even fresh pasta can have al dente appeal when cooked for a minimum amount of time, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. (Any pasta cooked longer than the recommended time will become soft and pasty.)

But can you really tell the difference between cooked dry and fresh pasta?

Kenneth West of Borden Pasta, which produces Anthony macaroni products in Los Angeles, thinks not.

Taste Test Leads to Surprises

“You would have to have a very discriminating palate to tell the difference between fresh and dry pasta when they’re cooked,” he said. “Why don’t you run a taste test and see for yourself,” West suggested.

And we did.

The results? Surprising.

Most tasters on The Times’ Test Kitchen panel (enlisted from the Times’ food staff) did not correctly identify fresh from dry pasta by either the look or smell of the cooked products, as some pasta die-hards might. They mistook dry as fresh until tasted because of the fresh-appearing golden color produced by the dry-pasta machines described by Kovarich. The fresh pasta actually was paler in color despite the addition of egg yolks to the dough. Most of the staff also failed to identify fresh pasta when tasted along with the dry version of fettuccine, using the same sauce.

“The theory that fresh pasta absorbs sauce and becomes one, doesn’t seem to apply here,” scoffed a colleague after mistaking dry pasta for the fresh.

“True,” I said. I had made the same mistake.

That was when we decided to add samples of both made-that-day-fresh and supermarket packaged-fresh with a dry brand. Better luck this time: Most of the staff tasting the pasta were able to distinguish between day-fresh, packaged fresh and dry pasta.

Sauces: The Choice Is Broad

Proper sauces are an essential part of enjoying pasta, although personal preference generally dictates the choice.

Lensi thinks the best sauces for dry pasta are the long-cooking types, such as Bolognese or other slow-cooking tomato sauces with meat. “But these take too long to cook. You’re better off with something creamy or a spicy tomato-based sauce,” he said. Such as the Pasta Capocollo that is also served at his restaurant and made with capocollo, a pork product, and red pepper. The recipe is given here, and it’s good.

Piero Selvaggio uses dry tagliolini (a fettuccine-type ribbon pasta) with a shrimp, red pepper and pine nut sauce, reminiscent of the Southern Italian cuisine.

Vito Gnazzo of Rex, by contrast, uses fresh tagliarini (also in the fettuccine family) with broccoli flowers (rape), which can be purchased by the bunch at most gourmet food stores and some supermarkets. Small broccoli florets also can be used in lieu of flower stems. The sauce is extra-simple with extra-virgin olive oil added like a salad dressing just before serving.

Orsini, who also prefers fresh pasta, suggests that even lasagna be prepared fresh for fresh taste. Large sheets of pasta, now available in gourmet fresh pasta stores, come in many colors and can be rolled to stuff with spinach and ricotta cheese and topped with a tomato and ground veal sauce, Orsini suggests. Fettuccine is fine with creamy white sauce or creamy tomato sauce.

Tomassi suggests using the lusty traditional sauces made with olive oil, garlic and herbs typical of Southern Italy, where dry pastas have been used since the earliest Roman times. “Originally dry pasta was mixed with fish stock and dried between stones. It was much later on that flour and water was used and the pasta boiled,” Tomassi said. Fresh pastas, thinks Tomassi, are better suited to absorbable, creamy sauces, as in sauce alfredo with Parmesan cheese, butter and cream, or a fresh tomato sauce, as given here.

Drago, of Celestino Ristorante, prefers using delicate, fresh tomato sauces and cream sauces for fresh pastas, such as fettuccine, pappardelle, capellini d’Angelo (angel hair), ravioli and other rolled or folded fresh pastas. His favorite is a fresh tomato and basil sauce using fresh fettuccine, as given here.

Kovarich, the poetic pasta expert, who has been distributing Agnesi and Amati brand pasta and other Italian products since 1951, goes as far as adding commercially processed canned sauces to his dry pasta. “I like spaghetti with pesto sauce and linguine with imported Amati marinara sauce, made with tomatoes grown in the Bay of Tigullio on the Italian Riviera,” he said. He also recommends using canned imported red clams (also Amati), which include the tiny clams from the Bay of Naples. “Why should I make my own sauces when I can get a sauce made with the tiny clams from the Bay of Naples or home-grown Italian tomatoes?” he asked.

Silvi of Al Dente thinks that quick fresh pastas call for quick, fresh sauces, such as the one given here for Fettuccine Putanesca, a spicy sauce flavored with red chiles.

AL DENTE’S FETTUCCINE PUTANESCA

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Pinch red pepper flakes

2 or 3 anchovy fillets, minced

1/2 cup dry Italian red wine

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped or 8 large ripe plum tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup oil-cured black olives, sliced

1/4 cup oil-cured green olives, sliced

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/2 pound fresh fettuccine or other fresh pasta

Heat oil and add onion and garlic. Saute until translucent. Add red pepper flakes and anchovy fillets and saute 1 minute. Add wine and reduce until absorbed. Add tomatoes and olives and saute until coarse sauce is formed, about 10 minutes. Add parsley.

Meanwhile add fettuccine to boiling salted water and cook according to package directions, 2 to 3 1/2 minutes or until tender-firm. Do not overcook. Drain and pour into large serving platter. Add tomato sauce and toss lightly. Makes 6 servings.

LA PASTERIA PASTA CAPOCOLLO

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

Salt, pepper

1 ounce sun-dried tomatoes, diced

1/2 pound peas, shelled

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced

1/2 pound capocollo, diced

Pinch oregano

Pinch thyme

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 pound spaghetti or other dried pasta

Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil and add onion, salt and pepper to taste. Saute until onion is tender. Add sun-dried tomatoes and peas and saute until peas are almost tender. Add mushrooms and capocollo, oregano and thyme. Saute until mushrooms are barely tender. Add cream and cook until slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning, if needed.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain thoroughly. Add pasta to sauce and toss. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to taste. Makes 6 servings.

CELESTINO’S TAGLIATELLE WITH TOMATOES AND BASIL

1 medium onion, chopped

1 whole clove garlic

Butter

5 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

1 bunch fresh basil, minced

Dash dry oregano

Salt, pepper

12 ounces fresh tagliatelle

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Basil leaves

Saute onion and whole garlic in 2 teaspoons butter until onion is tender. Add tomatoes, minced basil, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, frequently whipping sauce slightly.

Meanwhile, cook tagliatelle in boiling salted water according to package directions, 2 to 3 1/2 minutes, or until tender-firm. Drain. Toss 1 1/2 teaspoons butter into sauce and mix with drained pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garnish with basil leaves. Makes 6 servings.

ORSINI’S ZITONI SORA NUCCIA

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

4 (3/4-inch) slices eggplant, chopped

2 slices smoked mozzarella cheese, chopped (1/2 cup)

8 oil-cured black olives, sliced

2 basil leaves, chopped

Salt, white pepper

1/2 pound zitoni or other fresh pasta

Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil. Add tomatoes and saute until tomatoes are tender. Add eggplant, mozzarella, olives, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Saute 15 minutes.

Meanwhile cook zitoni in boiling salted water according to package directions, 2 to 3 1/2 minutes, or until tender-firm. Drain. Add drained pasta to sauce and toss well. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Makes 6 servings.

PIERO’S TAGLIOLINI WITH SHRIMP, RED PEPPER AND PINE NUTS

2 cups dry white wine

1/2 cup minced shallots

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound uncooked large shrimp, shelled, deveined and butterflied

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 large sweet red peppers, seeded and cut julienne

2 tablespoons well-chilled, salted butter

Salt, pepper

1/2 pound dry green tagliolini or other dry pasta

2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano

Combine wine and shallots in saucepan and bring to boil. Boil until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp, nuts and garlic. Saute 2 minutes. Add sweet red peppers and saute until tender and shrimp are opaque, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, add butter to wine mixture. Whisk in butter over low heat. Remove pan from heat if bubbles appear on surface. Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep sauce warm over hot water until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions until tender, but still firm. Drain and transfer to platter or bowl. Spoon sauce over pasta and toss lightly. Add shrimp mixture and toss gently. Sprinkle with basil and oregano. Makes 6 servings.

VITO’S TAGLIARINI AI FIORI DI BROCCOLI (Fresh Pasta With Broccoli Flowers)

2 bunches broccoli flowers (rape), stems trimmed or 1 bunch broccoli cut into florets

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, slightly crushed

1/3 cup tomato sauce

Dash dry crushed chili

1 sprig basil

Salt, pepper

1/2 pound fresh tagliarini or other fresh pasta

Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Cook broccoli rape in boiling salted water until bright green in color. Do not overcook. Drain.

Heat half olive oil with garlic and saute until garlic turns pale golden. Remove garlic and discard.

Add well-drained broccoli rape and saute 1 minute. Add tomato sauce. Cook 2 minutes over low heat. Add chile, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and add remaining oil.

Cook tagliarini in boiling salted water according to package directions, 2 to 3 1/2 minutes or until tender-firm. Drain well and add to sauce. Toss lightly. Serve with Parmesan cheese. Makes 4 servings.

LOCANDA VENETA’S TAGLIALINI CON POMODORO (Pasta With Fresh Plum Tomatoes)

1/2 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

5 whole cloves garlic

1 small stalk celery, diced

1 small carrot, chopped

1 sprig rosemary

2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and crushed

Salt, pepper

12 ounces fresh or dried fettuccine

2 basil leaves

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Heat oil in large skillet. Add onion, garlic, celery, carrot and rosemary sprig and saute until onion is tender. Add crushed tomatoes and simmer over medium-low heat 20 to 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place in blender container and blend until smooth. Return to skillet and keep warm.

Cook fresh pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions, 2 to 3 1/2 minutes or until tender-firm. If using dry pasta, cook according to package directions. Drain and add to sauce in skillet. Toss to mix well over low heat. Garnish with basil leaves and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

EMILIO’S SPAGHETTINI ALLA CHITARRA

1/2 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 small chile

Extra-virgin olive oil

8 medium tomatoes, peeled and diced, or 20 canned Italian plum tomatoes with juice

1 bunch basil, chopped

Salt, pepper

1 pound fresh spaghetti

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Saute onion, garlic, celery and chile in 1/4 cup olive oil until onion is tender. Add tomatoes, half basil and salt and pepper to taste. Saute 10 minutes.

Cook spaghettini in boiling salted water according to package directions, 2 to 3 1/2 minutes, or until pasta is tender-firm. Remove 1/3 of sauce from pan and add spaghettini to sauce in pan with remaining basil. Toss lightly but well.

Pour remaining sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, or to taste. Serve at once. Makes 6 to 8 servings.